


Silver Lines

by Roaming_Numerals



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Concussions, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Hypothermia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-17 11:15:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28599048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Roaming_Numerals/pseuds/Roaming_Numerals
Summary: “Hey, Warriors, what’s that on your neck?”Something flashed in the other man’s eyes and he laughed nervously, tugging on a faded grey cloak and thoroughly covering any glimpse of the mark."It's nothing, Wind. Just a souvenir."Or: Sometimes the best catalyst for easing a stubborn tongue is an unwarranted head wound and a surprise dip in a creek.
Relationships: Four & Hyrule & Legend & Sky & Time & Twilight & Warriors & Wild & Wind (Linked Universe), Time & Warriors (Linked Universe), Warriors & Wind (Linked Universe)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 110





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I say I've had this sitting in my docs half done for literal MONTHS, I'm not kidding. Would you also believe that this was originally part of my one shot collection, cause once again, I wrote WAY too much. And if course it HAD to be Warriors angst. 
> 
> TW: Hypothermia, concussions, mentions of scars, and inaccurate medical information and description of injuries (sorry, not a doctor) If I missed anything please tell me!

It was getting colder these days. No matter the Hyrule, the days were shorter, the shadows longer, and the winds harsher. For the heroes, this meant more layers, bigger campfires, and better insulated campsites when sleeping inside wasn’t possible. Staying comfortable came easier for some than others. Suspiciously, Wild’s popularity increased overnight, though whether that was due to his warm meals or his generous supply of even warmer clothing was not revealed. Runny noses became a common plague, and small coughs permeated the air in a perpetual symphony of sickness.

When they finally landed in a world whose grounds were covered in a thin blanket of snow, finding a mild place to sleep became a priority, all thoughts of black-blooded monsters left on the mental back-burner in favour of finding relief from the cold. The day was spent in relative silence, with only the odd bird call or skittering of a hare in the bracket breaking the winter quiet. Eventually, the quiet gurgle of a small stream joined the fray, its body coming into view at the bottom of the steep ravine their path lined.

Warriors hugged his scarf closer to his neck and draped one of the folds over his head in a weak attempt to retain some feeling in his ears. He was beginning to regret the fact that his gloves did not cover his fingertips. At this rate, he wouldn’t even be able to grab his sword should trouble arrive. Legend stomped grumpily beside him, still salty over the fact that he was forced to put on a pair of trousers under his tunic despite claiming to not feel the cold as much due to his enchanted jewelry collection. He smiled. A tug on his neck made him stop and turn. Wind had been clutching the end of his scarf to his pink hands, but now he had an iron grip on the fabric, even as his steps slowed to a crawl. Warriors frowned and held out a hand to stop the younger hero.

“Hey, Sailor, you doing alright?” He tried to meet Wind’s eyes, but they were hidden behind blonde bangs. He gave the shoulder a quick shake, kneeling down to get his attention. Legend noticed their pause and called up to Time to stop for a second.

Meanwhile, Wind seemed to have come out from his daze and was looking back at Warriors, cheeks and nose a bright pink. “Sorry, Wars, just got lost in thought. Why’ve we stopped?”

Warriors fought the urge to roll his eyes. “I should be asking you that. Are you sure you don’t want another layer? No offense, but that cloak was made by people who live on a tropical island, not a winter woodland.”

“What’s wrong?” Time’s voice sounded behind his back. Warriors stood to face the man, pushing Wind in front of him and holding him by the shoulders to keep him from squirming away.

“I think we need to work a little faster to find camp. At this rate, Wind is going to turn colder than an ice chuchu before the sun sets.”

“No I will not!” Wind tried to wriggle out of Warriors’ hold, but his movements were so sluggish, even Warriors’ frozen fingers were able to keep him in place. “Time, he’s just being a mother hen, don’t believe him! We’re wasting daylight standing here!”

Warriors could tell Time was trying not to smile watching Wind’s desperate antics, but when he spoke, there was only a hint of amusement in his tone. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to set up camp a little earlier than usual. Twilight!”

He beckoned for the ranch hand to join him. Unlike the rest of them, Twilight was relatively unaffected by the chill, what with his wolf pelt keeping him well insulated, and he came to the Old Man’s side with earnest. Time wrapped an arm around his shoulders, gesturing to a glaring Wind.

“The Sailor isn’t used to such colder climates and we think it would be best if we were a little more proactive in finding somewhere decent to rest for the night. Would you be willing to use those tracking skills to scout ahead and find somewhere suitable for us to warm ourselves?”

Time gave him a look that Twilight understood with a knowing nod of the head and a faint grin that tugged at the corner of his mouth. “No problem, Old Man. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

And with that, he began jogging ahead down the path until he disappeared from sight. Time looked back at Wind, this time not afraid to show his mirth.

“That solves that problem. But what to do with you until then? That cloak certainly isn’t doing you any favours at this point.”

Wind tried once more to escape Warriors’ grip, but this time he let him go, watching as he took a step away from them with his fists clenched at his sides in annoyance.

“You don’t need to do anything! You shouldn’t have sent Twi out there all alone! What if he gets lost? And I’m not even that cold, you guys are just babying me!”

Time chuckled. “Trust me. Twilight is well-prepared to find his way back to us. And if you’re so toasty, what’s that doing in your hand still?"

Wind looked down to his fist, which was still wrapped in Warriors’ scarf. He sputtered in protest as the remaining fabric was wrapped around his neck in generous swathes of blue.

“Wait—War! I told you I’m…not…cold.” His voice faded as he felt the immediate relief from the cold, and Warriors could tell both he and Time were struggling to not say anything as both their hearts melted when they saw Wind bury his face in the new accessory with pleasure. “Wait. But what about you? Aren’t you cold?”

Warriors laughed and pushed Wind to start walking again. “Don’t worry, Wind. I’ve got an extra cloak I can put on.”

Wind nodded, but paused when his eye caught on something silver poking out from Warriors’ collar. “Hey, Warriors, what’s that on your neck?”

Something flashed in the other man’s eyes and he laughed nervously, tugging on a faded grey cloak and thoroughly covering any glimpse of the mark.

“It’s nothing, Wind. Just a souvenir.”

* * *

He was beginning to really hate the cold. Standing on the edge of the path, with pale flakes falling around him, he cursed this cruel side of nature. It wasn’t even the worst he’d seen, thanks to a trip to Twilight’s and Wild’s snowy peaks, but even the steadily growing layer of snow on the forest floor was making it difficult to stave off the wolfos that had cornered them. He spared a glance to the bottom of the ravine, where his brother lay unmoving.

Wind adjusted the scarf around his neck and let out a fierce war cry, eager to get this over with so that he could attend to his fallen friend. The wolfos in front of him was now only one of three that were left over from the original ten that had crept out from the white. They were fortunate to have Twilight back with them from his successful scouting. In their rush to escape the cold, they’d been caught unawares, Wild being the first to feel the consequences of the attack. He now stood alongside Twilight and Sky as they faced a wolfos, Hyrule and Legend taking the second one, and Time, Four, and himself fighting the last one.

At the moment, the creature in question was in a fierce face off with Time, but upon hearing Wind’s cry, it turned to the new sound. Time took that as the opportunity to strike, bringing his sword down hard on the white body with a yell of his own. As the creature yelped in pain, Wind slashed wildly against the furry mass, and Four found his moment with a final stab to the chest, leaving the wolfos still.

Around him, Wind could hear the others bring down their opponents and Hyrule’s call for the injured. Time didn’t stop to listen or even sheathe his sword. He just let go of it in favour of sprinting down the ravine to the creek below with Wind hot on his heels.

He fought to keep his balance on the snow-covered slope, not sparing the wolfos body a second look as he passed it by, but could not stop his heart from pounding in terror once he saw the body.

Warriors wasn’t moving. He was face up (thank the goddesses) in the somewhat shallow creek, and seemed to be conscious (another mercy), but most of his body was submerged in the water. His face was scrunched up in confusion, and he had a dazed look in his eyes. He hardly reacted when Time came up beside him, ready to pull him from the freezing water, with only a groan gracing his lips when he was dragged to the edge of the creek, Time muttering sweet nothings as he did so.

Wind knelt beside the drenched hero and tried to get his attention, just as Warriors did earlier. He slapped lightly at his face, calling his name while Time checked for any life-threatening injuries.

“Wars. Hey, Warriors. Can you hear me? It’s me, Wind. Time’s here too.”

Warriors smiled gently at him, though he’d begun shivering, and Wind felt his worry grow.

“Wind? Why is the t-time here? It’s all w-wet.”

Wind heard Time curse under his breath and he had to admit he wanted to as well. Head injuries sucked. Still, he had to respect how calm Time sounded when he spoke up once more.

“I know big bro. We’ll get you dry soon. I just have to make sure you’re not gonna die on the way to camp.” Time reassured. Wind watched as he felt around Warriors’ scalp, and grimaced when it came away bloody. He clutched Warriors’ hand, shivering at the icy touch.

“We’ll have to treat this at camp. He’s conscious, so the biggest danger right now is hypothermia. We’ll need to get him warmed up before we start to worry about his head.”

Wind went to take off the scarf, but Time stopped him. “No, you’d best save that for when we’ve gotten him out of these wet clothes. Go on back up and tell the others to be ready to move. I’ll just have to carry him on my back. But first…”

Together, they stripped him of his soaked cloak, spaulder, and bracers before Time motioned for Wind to hand over the scarf. As it was wrapped around his neck, he caught another glimpse of the streak of pale skin against the Captain’s throat, but it was quickly covered. Wind helped the groggy Warriors get situated on Time’s back, answering his repetitive questions and assuring him that they were fine. Then Wind ran up the slope as quickly as he could, this time stopping by the defeated wolfos to retrieve Warriors’ sword and shield from the dead body. The others were assembled on the path with worried looks, but none of them looked too worse for wear.

“Is Warriors alright?” Sky questioned, fingers running over his sailcloth nervously. Wind nodded, then shook his head. “He’s conscious, but he has a pretty good bump on his head and needs to get warm now. Time’s got him. All we need is to find camp.”

All eyes turned to Twilight, who straightened and with a nod, turned to lead the group to where he’d found their potential accommodations for the night. “We shouldn’t be too far at all, it’s less than a mile away by now.” Wild took Warriors’ things and Time’s abandoned sword to store in his slate, giving Wind a reassuring pat on the back. Once Time came onto view, he was immediately surrounded and the group set off once more, worry quickening their steps and creeping into their hearts. 

* * *

They found sanctuary in an abandoned hunting cabin. Its roof had holes and the windows needed to be covered with spare blankets, but there was a fireplace and a moth-eaten rug to give them some semblance of comfort. They couldn’t light a fire fast enough, in Wind’s opinion.

After a roaring blaze was brought to life, courtesy of Wild, blankets were practically thrown into Time’s arms to dry their soaking friend. By now, Warriors had stopped shivering—a very bad sign, Time had informed him when he announced that turn of events. He’d also lost consciousness somewhere along the way, and Wind didn’t need to be told how concerning that was.

At first, it had been a mad rush of concerned companions crowding around Warriors and Time, but the older man quickly shooed them away and ordered for stones to be placed by the fire, a set of dry clothes, a hot meal, and for the rest of them to _“look after yer damned selves first! We don’t need anyone else fighting for breath!”_ Said with love of course. It was obvious how worried their one-eyed friend was, and no one took offense to his outburst.

With that, only Wind, Hyrule, and Time were left beside the injured hero. Wind and Hyrule set up blankets and a sleeping pad whilst Time worked quickly to peel off the wet clothing from Warriors’ cold body. One by one, Warriors was relieved of his boots, chainmail, and tunic, Time’s face unreadable throughout the process, but he froze after stripping the Captain of his wet undershirt.

There was a collective intake of breath from the three pairs of eyes that zeroed in on the pale marring of skin. Although his torso was covered in numerous marks that told of his status as both a war veteran and a hero of Hyrule, what caught their attention was the pale smile that grinned evilly back up at them. Wind recognized the sliver of scarring he’d spotted earlier, but now he could see the entire body. Or rather, one of two bodies.

The sliver of what he’d seen began on the left side of his neck, and ran from almost midway up Warriors’ throat, all the way down to nearly touch his collarbone on the opposite side, leaving a jagged and messy trail of scar tissue that made Wind’s stomach churn. The second scar was smaller, but no less sickening. Its thinner, more precise body ran horizontally from the other side of Warriors’ throat to meet the first scar halfway along the flesh of his neck.

Images of knife-wielding figures slashed their way into his thoughts and he could tell Hyrule and Time were having similar reactions based on their own lack of movement and Time’s quiet cursing. Hyrule went to touch the scars, but hesitated, as if too afraid to confirm that they were real. It seemed as though time had stopped just for them, giving them all the seconds in the world to burn the image of the Captain’s scarred body into their brains. Then, the spell was broken by Time punching the floor in a sudden show of rage, and Wind jumped. He looked around. The others had stopped in their mad dash to carry out Time’s orders and had once again huddled around the sight in horrified curiosity.

Silently, Legend and Twilight procured a spare set of clothes for Time to replace the wet ones with. The older man nodded his thanks, though his face glowered. He didn’t say anything to send the others away, but those with active duties left the circle once more. Instantly, Time was focused once again on preventing the potential hypothermia that was threatening his big brother. As soon as Warriors was once again clothed, Hyrule and Wind helped maneuver Warriors onto his bedroll and cover him with the blankets they’d been guarding. Without prompting, Four came over to place several of the wrapped hot stones around Warriors’ body, mindful not to burn him as he did so. Horrible timing mandated that they run out of red potions the day before, so bandages were applied and the corners of blankets were tucked in tight. Hyrule did what he could but sadly confessed that he didn't have much left in his magic reserves.

Soon, they were all sat in a semicircle around the fireplace and, by proxy, a sleeping Warriors. Each had a bowl of hot stew and though it warmed their bellies, it was difficult swallowing around the lumps in their throats.

“Time, what was—”

“Not my story. Now eat.”

Wind set down his empty bowl and tucked himself into Warriors’ side, hugging his arm. He didn’t care if it made him look childish, right now he just wanted to feel the blood pulsing through Warriors’ veins to reassure him that he was alive, and not frozen to death in some stream or bled dry from a gaping slash in his neck. Time nodded approvingly, and mentioned something about how body heat was good for hypothermia.

The mood was sombre as night fell, with soft whispers interrupting the crackling of the fire, and the howl of the winter wind outside. Combined with his hot supper, Wind found himself beginning to doze off, the high of the earlier battle and panic over Warriors’ condition filling his limbs with lead and weighing his eyelids down until he fell fast asleep. 

* * *

He was abruptly woken by some unwelcome squirming and gargled noises he couldn’t quite make out with his half-asleep brain. He simply reaffirmed his grasp on the arm he held fast to and tried to return to his cozy slumber. For a second, he was able to enjoy sweet silence before the arm was jerked roughly from his grip and more sounds of discomfort reached his ears. His first reaction was to frown and sit up to see where his pillow had gone, but what he saw sent such intentions and his grogginess from his mind.

Warriors had awoken and was desperately trying to discard the mounds of blankets he was buried in, albeit clumsily. His eyes weren’t completely open yet, but they held a bright fever light to them that concerned Wind greatly. He was mumbling something, quiet murmurings that Wind still couldn’t make out yet. He held his hands out as if to stop him but he was frozen. He didn’t know what to do. What _should_ he do? Warriors had to stay warm, he didn’t look right either, but what should he—

Two strong hands came down to halt Warriors’ movements. They tucked his hands back under the blankets and kept his shoulders from rising with gentle yet insistent authority. Wind looked up, expecting to see Time, but instead it was Twilight’s face he was met with. His mouth was pressed into a thin line and there was a concerned crease between his brows. Still, Wind watched as he hushed and soothed Warriors back into his makeshift bed. Warriors, whose face was still a bit pale from the cold, but sported flushed cheeks, either from the slow return of heat or something more sinister. Warriors, who had tried to grip Twilight’s hand before his own was tucked into the folds of fabric.

Once the injured man was sufficiently sated, Twilight patted him on the head and turned to Wind, his face grim. “I’m glad he’s woken up, but I think he could still use some help. You’d better go wake up Hyrule and Time."

Wind nodded and rushed to where the others had fallen asleep, all huddled together much for the same reason he’d been pressed against Warriors. Hyrule had taken a bit of coaxing, but sprang into action once Wind explained the circumstances. Time had awoken immediately and went to Warriors’ side before Wind could hardly open his mouth.

“How is he?” He inquired, watching as Hyrule inspected the dazed Warriors.

“Wars woke up during my watch and tried to throw his blankets off.” Twilight answered. “He’s still pretty out of it, but he seemed worried about something. I think it’s the possible concussion you were worried about.”

They all looked to Hyrule, who nodded, fear evident in his expression. “That would make sense. I don’t think concussion itself wasn’t too bad, but I think the shock from the cold made it worse. As long as we keep him warm he should recover, but he might be a bit out of it when he wakes up.”

They all sat back in silence, though it was easy to guess what sort of thoughts plagued each mind. Wind couldn’t tear his eyes from the sleeping form in front of him, and he continued to sit and allow his concern to occupy his mind until he was dragged once more from consciousness. The last thing he feels before slipping into sleep was Time hugging him close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I say spaulder, I am referring to Warriors' shoulder plate. I thought it was a pauldron, but apparently that's bigger and covers more of the armpit area. Please, if you know medieval armour, can we come to an agreement as to what it is? 
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading!! What's better than getting presents for your birthday? GIVING presents! Even if they're a little late. A Happy New Year to you all, I hope it's started of well and thanks once again for being here! 
> 
> Me: Roam, this isn't really how concussions and hypothermia work...
> 
> Also me: ~ p l o t ~


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm riding that fine line between needing to publish a chapter immediately whilst also hating every word of it. All jokes aside, I feel like my writing kept getting worse the longer I went on. But alas, if I look at it one more time, my head will explode, so I guess I'm putting that on you all. Cheers.
> 
> TW: Hypothermia, concussions, mentions of scars, and inaccurate medical information and description of injuries (sorry, not a doctor) If I missed anything please tell me!

“Warriors, you need to lie down. Please.”

“You can’t tell me what to do. _I’m_ th' ranking officer here.”

An exasperated sigh. “No, but we are your friends, so could you just do what you’re told?"

A strange giggle. “Jokes on you, I’m _terrible_ at following orders—especially stupid ones. How do you think I got in this war in th’ first place?”

“The war is _over_ , Warriors. You won, remember? The kingdom’s being rebuilt as we speak.”

“Pfft, is that really th’ best story you can come up with?”

“Warriors, _please_. You’re not well—”

“Yer talkin’ to a Captain of th’ Hyrulean Army, you know? This is th’ _worst_ assassination attempt ever—”

Wind sat up at that. Time had gone from his side and was now huddled near Warriors, trying to help Hyrule in keeping the injured man from leaving his sleeping pad, but Wind could see that they were having more trouble with his mind rather than physically forcing him to stay put. He went to go and assist with their efforts, but he didn’t get very far before a hand shot out to stop him.

“Hold up there, kid.” Legend wasn’t watching him, but rather had his eyes on Warriors. Still, Wind felt inclined to obey. “Wars isn’t really with us right now, so Time wants us to give him some room.”

Wind nodded reluctantly, but he didn’t sit down. “What exactly does that mean, Legend? I thought he was supposed to sleep it off.”

Legend let out a pained chuckle. “Yeah, well that didn’t last long. He hasn’t slept for more than ten minutes and when he does, he hasn’t exactly been with us.”

“Yeah, I noticed.” Wind thought back to when Twilight had to pacify the delirious swordsman earlier. Now it was Time and Hyrule that were tasked with keeping him in bed, however adamant their patient was about doing just the opposite. Looking at Warriors, Wind could see how glossy his eyes looked and the slightly feverish pallor of his skin, which explained the slurred speech and discombobulation. His hair had mostly dried, but strands still stuck to his face, and the lent tunic he wore kept trying to slip over his shoulder, thus offering them all a generous view of the scarring that laced his throat. Wind gripped his own in sympathy.

“He didn’t mention those before, did he?”

Legend grunted, somehow understanding what Wind was referring to. “Nah, just the arm. They’re not even that big, but still…makes you wonder.”

Wind nodded, and he felt an emotion he couldn’t quite place begin to stir. Anger towards those who would hurt someone like that? Fear over the fact that he might’ve lost someone before he even found him? Sorrow from imagining the pain that such wounds held? Whatever it was, Wind didn’t like it. He frowned, so lost in his own thoughts that it took him a few seconds to realize that the room had gone quiet. He glanced up to find that Warriors was once again lying peacefully in his mound of blankets, with both Time and Hyrule looking immensely relieved. He crept forward, eager to see his big brother, and this time, Legend didn’t stop him.

He moved slowly, eventually kneeling down beside the prone hero and clenching his hands together. Warriors didn’t seem to truly be sleeping, but at least his eyes were closed. Wind couldn’t quite make out what he was mumbling, though he wished he could, as it seemed to mean a great deal to Warriors. Continuous twitching and an expression of unrest spoke more to Wind than Warriors’ incoherent muttering. Tentatively, he reached out to rest a hand where he figured his arm to be underneath all the layers of bedding in an attempt to offer silent support.

But, as soon as he made contact, a hand shot out from beneath the covers to grasp his fingers in a surprisingly tight grip for someone who was supposed to be asleep. He felt Time tense beside him, but he didn’t pull away. Instead, he placed his second hand atop the one that held his, staring into the foggy yet fervent gaze Warriors regarded him with. He stared up at him for a few seconds before a look of confusion washed over his face and he began feeling with his other hand around his neck and scanning around the room as if searching for something.

“Where am I? Where’s Proxi? Where’s my scarf?” He croaked. His slurring had gotten better, but his voice was faint and laced with confusion. Wind gripped his hand more tightly.

“You left Proxi in your Hyrule, remember? You’ve been traveling with the eight of us for a few months now, chasing after black-blooded monsters. It’s me, Wind. You got injured in a skirmish and now you’re resting in this cabin. Does that ring any bells, Captain?”

Warriors was watching him closely, and Wind could see the gears turning. He blinked a few times and looked away, taking his hand back to pat at his neck once more. “Where’s my scarf? I need my scarf. I need it, where is it…”

Wind could sense the panic mounting and searched desperately for the article, but it was abruptly thrown to him by Time, who gestured for Wind to hand it over. Warriors snatched at the fabric immediately, not bothering to properly wrap it around his neck in its usual fashion, but simply tucked it around his throat and chest, keeping plenty of the blue accessory to clutch at. He breathed a small sigh of relief and Wind felt his own mounting panic evaporating as well. Wind let him be for a few minutes, not daring to disturb the newfound peace, but his curiosity became too much to contain.

“Warriors, where did those scars come from? The…ones on your throat, I mean. If you don’t…mind me asking…” His words grew fainter and fainter until they seemed to just disappear, and Wind sat back, afraid he’d overstepped some boundaries. Warriors stared right back at him, a faraway look in his eyes. For a moment, Wind thought he wouldn’t receive an answer, but he snapped to attention when he heard the low rumblings of Warriors’ voice.

“On my throat…” There was some movement underneath the scarf, and Wind could imagine his fingers grazing the silver lines across his skin.

“You said something about an assassination attempt earlier. Is…is that what happened to you?”

Wind was surprised to hear Wild’s voice speak up from behind him, and he felt someone moving closer to the growing audience around Warriors. Wild appeared from around his shoulder, and Wind shot him a cautionary glance. This was dangerous territory they were in. And yet, here he was, grateful to the scarred hero for being the one to ask the questions he was too afraid to. 

When Warriors spoke, his voice was quieter than Wind had ever heard it, and it grated on his heart to hear him sound so lost. Nevertheless, when Warriors finally recounted his tale, it felt more like he was receiving a report, and Wind wasn’t sure whether or not he preferred this to the blatant and slurred confusion from before.

“Assassination? Well…that’s how they explained it to me, I suppose. The first time at least.” Warriors didn’t make eye contact with anyone, turning his gaze to the ceiling in place of meeting their horrified stares. “We always knew that there would be those who might oppose our leadership, even with my status as the Hero and Zelda as Queen. However--,” his voice caught noticeably, and he took a moment to clear his throat before he continued, trembling fingers stroking the thin line on his throat he now allowed to be visible. “However, we underestimated how far the people would go. Shortly after my, er, _visit_ to Skyloft, a small group of radicals called the Black Diamonds attempted to… _remove_ a number of prominent political figures. As you can probably guess, I was one such figure. They snuck right into my tent…I…I barely woke up in time to scream for help before…before they…”

Warriors’ breathing was picking up again, blue eyes growing wide with terror as memories flashed behind his vision. Wild immediately grabbed his hand to stop it from rubbing at his neck and brought it to his lips in a show of affection, squeezing the fingers tightly. The tears glistening in his eyes mirrored that of the others’ emotional states, and Wind wondered if Wild had any relatable memories from his time under the direct rule of the king. Thankfully, Wild’s actions had calmed Warriors down considerably, and he opened his mouth to speak when a soft voice spoke up.

“I’m so sorry, Wars. You don’t have to share any more if it hurts.” Sky’s gentle tone was like a soothing lather compared to the painful story Warriors had just revealed. The brunette was staring so mournfully at Warriors that if it weren’t for the obvious lack of scarring, he might’ve believed it was Sky who was the subject of the gruesome tale.

Warriors lifted himself onto his elbows, just now realizing that his audience was much larger than he had initially thought. All eyes were on him, eager yet wary of what might follow as they all remembered that there was still one more explanation to come. Warriors sighed and motioned to sit up, apparently growing more lucid as he now had a purpose in staying awake and cognizant. Time allowed the injured man to lean against him, throwing an arm across his shoulders for further support. He went to pull up the blankets that had fallen away, but a look from Warriors had him pause and roll his eyes, though Wind couldn’t help but catch the flash of guilt in his expression. After Warriors had become properly situated, there was an expectant pause as he gathered his thoughts.

He took a deep breath. “Technically, the second one didn’t even happen during the war. Ganon’s forces had finally been defeated along with Ganon himself. But, as you know, not all of our enemies were monsters. A few days after peace had officially been announced, I was on my way to a meeting with Impa in the palace when I was attacked by a younger lad who was out for blood. My blood, specifically. Apparently his father was one of the traitors that had been executed prior. I didn’t want to hurt him, but I also greatly underestimated his hatred for me, which I suppose is what allowed him to land such a strike.”

Warriors went to trace the jagged scar that ran to his collarbone and let out a emotionless chuckle. “As it were, he was no professional, and the whole ordeal was quite messy. Guess it’s pretty obvious to say that I recovered, and I haven’t missed a meeting since.”

He finished with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, and Time gave him a squeeze, leaning down to mutter something in his ear.

Warriors shook his head, “Not your fault, Sprite. It is a shame you missed seeing his face when we sentenced him though.”

Four cocked his head. “To death? Send him off to join his father?”

The Captain gave a sad grin. “After all that bloodshed, we came to different conclusion. Just some community service and mandatory assistance with rebuilding. Still, gave him a bit of a shock when he got the news. Last I heard, he was working with a neighboring village in constructing a new school.”

With that, he let out a gaping yawn and tried to lean into Time’s embrace more thoroughly, energy spent. Legend got up to assist with lying him back down as Warriors’ will to stay awake continued to fade now that he’d said his part. He made sure the blonde was sufficiently covered before poking him in the chest and demanding that he sleep for more than an hour this time.

In fitting with the apparent trend, they were once again left to stew in the subsequent silence of Warriors’ words as the man in question slept (peacefully this time).

“Damn,” someone whispered.

Wind sent a weary glance out through a crack in the door. Still dark. Damn indeed. All this trauma and it didn’t even take two days for Warriors to relive it all. Wind could sense Time watching them all, trying to gauge just how deeply they’d been affected, although he was clearly the most upset--for what reason, he didn’t know.

“Time, why did Warriors call you Sprite? And don’t try to ‘not my story’ me, I know you can tell me.”

Time raised an eyebrow. “That is a tale for another time, Sailor. Now why don’t you join the others in finally getting a good night’s rest? I’m sure Warriors won’t mind sharing a blanket or two.”

Wind pouted at the obvious redirection, but crawled over to Warriors nonetheless. Tugging a few of the quilts over his body he snuggled into his side once more and did his best to fall asleep.

* * *

Waking up was an ordeal. An ordeal that surely would have been more achievable had he not apparently been wrapped up in each of Warriors’ blankets by the time morning had come around. The cocoon was nearly stifling, and Wind wondered if this was Sky’s idea of paradise. However, he couldn’t shake the feeling that a certain something, or rather, _someone_ was missing. And that was reason enough for Wind to vacate his cocoon in search of that someone. He untangled the layers and went to stand, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He noticed that the door was cracked open a tad and realized where he must go. So, wrapping a cover or two around his small frame, he creeped around the various sleeping bodies of his companions to find not only Warriors, but Time as well, sitting on the crooked front porch.

Both were sharing a rather large wool blanket and spoke in hushed voices. Wind also spotted a small pot that sat beside them, wafting steam in the air to match that which also rose from the two cups they both held with grateful fingers.

“Are you sure you should be outside already, Warriors?”

Twinned expressions of chagrin turned to face him and Wind could tell that despite his comment, Warriors was in a much healthier state judging by the charismatic smile that broke through the surprise at being caught.

“Wind! So good of you to join us! Time and I were just appreciating this fine morning air with a nice cup of hot milk. But, if you’re so worried about my well-being, why don’t you come sit with us a while? Time was just telling me of our little adventure yesterday. Apparently I bumped my head while taking a dip. I hear you played a key part in my recovery.”

Warriors must have been feeling better than he thought if he was already using flattery. But Wind was _not_ going to fall for such distractions. He should be mad at him for causing him so much worry, and for scaring the goddesses out of him with those stories, and for being such a goddess-damned _idiot_ for getting pushed into that stream in the first place, and for—

“Ok.”

Eh, he’d get over it. He pushed and nudged his way right in between the two heroes, taking an arm from each to hug protectively and blocking out the chuckles he got from both men. It was cold, and he was smaller than them. Thus, he also needed more warmth, screw Warriors’ condition. He knew the risks when he walked outside.

“So,” he sniffed. “Where exactly are we in this escapade of ours? Have you gotten to the part where Legend had to tuck you in like a newborn baby? Oh, and we can’t forget how you looked like a drowned cat once we pulled you from the water!”

Time laughed and Warriors nudged his shoulder in annoyance, but Wind could see the mirth in his eyes. “Geez, way to ruin a good story. Why can’t we talk about how I killed a whole wolfos while falling down the slope?”

Wind put on the haughtiest look he could manage. “Sorry, didn’t see it. The wolfos must have fallen on it when you dropped it.”

“Why you—”

Wind had to stop himself from giggling too loudly as Warriors pulled him into a less-than-affectionate noogie (just barely avoiding spilling a drop of milk as he did so), though he supposed he deserved it. He pushed him away and leaned towards Time, clutching at his tunic.

“Time, save me!”

A brief scuffle broke out, with much muffled giggling and an unusual lack of spilled milk, but it was swiftly ended by Time demanding they either control themselves or lose blanket privileges. Thus, amity between the two parties was brokered and the three Hylians found themselves sitting peacefully once more. A light snow began to fall, and Wind shivered. Warriors brought his arm around his shoulders and pulled him close, with Time tugging more of their covering over his legs.

Wind sighed. “So, Warriors. You a big fan of winter?”

“Not really.”

“Me neither.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bam! Longest short piece I ever wrote. Was it worth making an entirely new work instead of just adding it to my pile of one shots? Maybe. Am I just happy to not have to fling past it on my docs as I work on another project? Definitely. 
> 
> Thanks again for reading, commenting, and leaving kudos!! I hope you liked it! Xx


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